Tourniquets are used to stop blood flow to an injured region of a limb. Previously, tourniquets have comprised elongated materials which were wrapped around an injured limb to create a loop above the injured area and tightened, in a variety of manners, to restrict or stop blood flow into the injured area. If total blood flow is to be stopped, typically the materials must be tightened and maintained in place to achieve a successful tourniquet.
Tourniquets are commonly provided to military personnel and emergency medical personnel. Since an emergency can happen at any time, tourniquets should be designed for rapid use during the day and night. The present invention addresses these concerns and provides a tourniquet that is quick and easy to use in a variety of lighting conditions and may be deployed in a tactile manner or by feel alone. The following are representative of the state of art relating to tourniquets.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,113,534 to Brown discloses a tourniquet that consists of a pad secured to a strap in a position to extend beneath the buckle for preventing the latter from contacting with the skin of the person to whom the tourniquet is applied. The pad is provided with a slit in substantial alignment with the jaws of said buckle. The strap extends through the slit to hold said pad in position beneath said buckle. This construction effects a self-adjusting tourniquet buckle pad and assures that it is always in the correct position.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,468,133 to Sullivan discloses a tourniquet. The basic element of the tourniquet is a long rubber tube having closed ends and a structure similar to a bicycle tire inner tube. The tube is designed to be formed into a coil and to be inflated by way of a standard air valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,759 to Yuhas discloses a tourniquet. The tourniquet assembly in its entirety which comprises an elongated hollow tube, a buckle or fastening collar and a local pressure applying disc. The elongated hollow tube is formed of an elastic material such as vinyl chloride plastic and which contains a pre-injected gas. The ends are sealed to entrap the gas therein. The buckle or fastening collar is of cylindrical shape and preferably formed of sufficiently non-elastic material such as polyethylene plastic. The fastening collar is secured to one end of the tube by a self-locking arrangement including two longitudinally spaced apart apertures.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,675 to Bishop, Jr. discloses a disposable surgical tourniquet. A unitary, laminar assembly of plastic material forms a bladder for retaining air under suitable pressure to perform its tourniquet function. Sealed through the wall of the unitary body is a valve stem or the like communicating with the interior of the bladder for introducing suitable amounts of gas under pressure therein. When the cuff is to be used, it is convolutedly wound around a body member in a conventional manner with double-sided, pressure-sensitive tape disposed between the convolutions to hold them in place, and air or other gas then introduced at suitable pressure into the hollow interior portion of the cuff forming the bladder. The pressure-sensitive tape may extend substantially entirely across the bottom surface of the cuff, except for that portion thereof which may engage against the skin, and the fact that the tape engages entirely across the cuff and seals the overlapping convolutions together to assist in preventing relative side shifting of the convolutions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,115 to Mayo et al. discloses a tourniquet. It has a semi-elastic belt fixed at one end to a tongue. The tongue is releasably engageable in a buckle. The other end of the belt passes through belt adjusting means to form a tourniquet loop. The belt adjusting means form part of the buckle. The length of the loop is adjustable as required. Slow and quick tourniquet release means are provided at the belt adjustment means and tongue engagement means, respectively.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,394 to Racz et al. discloses a constant pressure tourniquet. A constant pressure tourniquet has an interior chamber formed therein by a continuous wall surface. The wall of the tourniquet is made of an expansible elastomeric material. The chamber is inflated with a suitable fluid to a pressure in excess of the threshold pressure provided by the elastomeric material. The tourniquet preferably is of annular or rectangular configuration, and can be adjustably arranged to effectively form a toroidal void within which a pressure producing fluid is contained. The tourniquet is made in various different sizes and configurations, and includes overlapping marginal ends which are fastened together and thereby provides a suitable inside diameter for proper placement about one's limb, such as a finger, arm, or leg, for example. The physical characteristics exhibited by the elastomer are selected to provide the required internal pressure for preventing bleeding. The internal pressure and size of the tourniquet therefore is selected to prevent bleeding of that part of the anatomy that receives the tourniquet.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,776,064 to Jennifer et al. discloses a tourniquet article. The present invention relates generally to first aid articles and more specifically tourniquets. One embodiment of the claimed subject matter includes a tourniquet article comprising a base, a cap disposed on said base, a strap having one free end and one end attached to said base, a buckle attached to said base, a handle with an aperture to accommodate a portion of said strap, a ring attached to said base positioned adjacent to said base, wherein said tourniquet article is positioned around a limb, wherein said free end of said strap is pulled through both said ring and said handle aperture whereby said article is initially tightened around the limb, wherein said handle is turned until adequate pressure is applied to the limb, and wherein once adequate pressure is applied to the limb, one end of said handle is inserted into said ring to secure the tightened tourniquet in place. Another embodiment includes a safety screw disposed in said buckle, wherein said screw is tightened to prevent said strap from slipping. Another embodiment has a ring that is movable along the base. Another embodiment of the tourniquet article further includes a second ring disposed on said base positioned adjacent to said buckle.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,947,061 to Reis discloses a ratcheting tourniquet apparatus. A ratcheting tourniquet apparatus has a quick adjustment mechanism for initial tourniquet strap approximation, and a ratcheting assembly for fine, stringent strap adjustment about a limb of a patient. The apparatus provides for quick and easy use, even to the uninitiated. The apparatus provides for sufficient leverage via the ratcheting assembly such that severe tightening of the strap is possible as needed. The apparatus quick adjustment mechanism further provides instant tourniquet release.